Archive for category Dan’s Blog

Hello, sorry i havent been blogging for a while, i misplaced my password book and have just recently found it!

I hope everyone had a super christmas (and you all got what you asked for!) And i wish you the best for the year ahead!

After 3 years of my old ”bog standard” incubator i decided to go up market and i decided to get a R COM Suro King incubator, with automatic truning and also automatic humidity. So as a test to see if it is working ok (and also a treat for me!) i have ordered some stunning Quail Barbu D’avers, to go along with my lovely Black Barbu D’anvers! I shall keep you all updated with how the incuabator (and most of importantly) the eggs are coming on, and i shall be uploading photos as i  go along!

Since i uploaded my blog we have also had 2 of the biggest shows in the UK, which is of course the Poultry Club of Great Britains National show, where there was a superb entry, and we saw a silver sebright owned by Mr Robin Creighton. And my favourite show of the year, which is of course the National Federation of Poultry Clubs Championship Show, which is held at the Staffordshire Agricultural center. The supreme champion of the show was a lovely Buff Rock, and was owned by Mr. Robin Ramus.

I have a friend who is opening a ex battery hen re-homeing programme, if you are just starting with hens or have an established flock these are brilliant! They are super laying eggs (usually an egg per day) and are super as pets! They are super with young children and i am sure that you will get attached! For more infomation please contact Moll Brassington on either facebook: Moll Brassington Twitter: @mollbrassington and email: M.brassington@live.co.uk  . They are asking for a minimum donation of £3.00 per bird, and they are based in the Derby area, if you can take some in, please do!

Dan

Hello,

             Like alot of things in time, carrying boxes have changed alot, nowadays you can get wicker boxes (which i have and think that they are great!), and solid wood ones, which are also brilliant, and i which i have. You can get them to fit a certain age or breed of bird, you can get get small ”pigeon” boxes, which will fit true bantam pullets. And then you can get get tall, but thin, boxes, for the large hard feather. Then there is the ordinary cardboard box, which i use when i can not fit all my birds in my wooden/wicker boxes. These are twice as good as the wooden ones, mainly because they are free, easy to source and if it breaks, it doesnt really matter! What you need to remember if it dosent look like your bird isnt going to fit into it, it probaly wont, it is probaly better to be too big than too small! And also if you are wishing to show your birds, get name plates done, there is alot of people who will have the smae boxes as you, and therefore they can go missing. Please see photos below (thanks to Callum Carlisle)

Thanks

Dan

Hello,

            When you are either showing chickens or just keeping them in the garden, there feet are very important (very much like humans). When showing them there feet and legs make up alot of the scale of points, when they are not right, it will be very painful and uncomfortable for the bird.  There is so many different things you can have wrong with a chickens foot. I have chosen 3 and here they are (thank you very much to Julia Rees, who i borrowed the photos off)

Duck foot (first picture) is where the back toe, is twisted back, and is nearly touching the right toe.

Splayed toes (second picture) is where there is some kind of ”webbing” between each toe. Not like a duck, slightly less.

Twisted toe (third picture) is the most common, and is mainly cause when the egg is hatching out of the incubator, the toe usually gets caught on the mesh, in the incubator, something else why you should use a broody hen. This can also happen is the incubator goes off (like through a power cut), and there is no humidity or correct tempreature for a long time. Or it can be passed in the birds genes.

When having a defromation in the feet, there isnt really alot what you can do, if you are worried, take a visit down to your vet

Going back to facebook, there is a group who are trying to get the sablepoot breed, its own breed club and not to be apart of the Rare Breeds Club, alot of our popular breeds were in this position, such as the Dutch Bantam Club. They are having a meeting at the Poultry Club Of Great Britain National Poultry Show, on the Saturday at 1.00pm and the meeting place is to be comfirmed (it will be on the rare breed poultry club stand). This would be brilliant to be apart off!!

Dan

Hello,

             I had a super day today at the southport and ormskirk poultry show, in Holmeswood. It is mainly unique, with having its own club room, i am guessing the only club with its own club room in Great Britain. With the Poultry Club of Great Britain Championship Show Status, there was plenty of competition! Especially with the Juniors, with the Junior Handeling class, which i took part in, and recieved a 3rd. There was also True Bantam Male and Female classes, Soft and Hard Feather classes, Waterfowl classes and Egg classes, all for the juniors! I also won Best True Bantam Trio. They also had a fantastic raffle, with 1st prize being £150 and 2nd £75, all to raise money for new show pens. I do have to agree that, this is what makes poultry showing in Britain Great! These are the backbone of the Poultry Club Of Great Britain! Well done to the whole committee, and everyone else who made the show possible! Well done to S & G Hodge who won best in show with a stunning Rosecomb Cockeral and P Watkinson who got reserve best in show with a modern game pullet!

While i was at the show, i was approached by Mrs Smith, and she was telling me about this fantastic scheme when they go to schools and Care homes and they go through a hatching programme with the children or the older people, when they have finished with the scheme they have got chicks (isa warrens) and they are giving them away for free! Perfect if you want to start with chickens!

FREE CHICKS

GOOD HOMES WANTED FOR 10 DAYS OLD CHICKS (ISA WARRENS)

A FEW AVAILABLE IN THE AUTUMN BUT MOSTLY AVAILABLE BETWEEN FEBUARY AND MARCH

LIVINGS EGGS IS A 10 DAY CHCIKS HATCHING EXPERIENCE FOR SCHOOLS AND CARE HOMES

AT THE END OF THE EXPERIENCE WE LOOK TO REHOME THE CHICKS IN THE LOCAL AREA

CONTACT INFOMATION:

Neal and Irene Smith

100 Ralph’s Wife Lane, Banks, PR9 8ER

phone/fax 017014 509505

Email: neal999@sky.com

Thanks

Dan

Show Champion – SA & G Hodge Black Rosecomb Cockerel
Reserve Show Champion – PT Watkinson Birchen Modern Game Pullet
Large Hard Feather – PT Watkinson OEG Carlisle Cockerel
Large Soft Feather – Light – Tinson & Hidden White Silkie Male
Large Soft Feather – Heavy – R O’Rourke Buff Orpington Female
Bantam Soft Feather – Heavy – DJ Singleton Buff Plymouth Rock Male
Bantam Soft feather – Light – P Smedley Ancona Male
Bantam Hard Feather – PT Watkinson Birchen Modern Game Pullet
True Banatm – SA & G Hodge Black Rosecomb Cockerel
Trio – JP Heeley Rhode Island Red Bantams
Best Junior – Caitlyn Platt OEG Carlisle Pullet
Best Eggs – A Martin Three White Hen Eggs
Best Waterfowl – SA & G Hodge Wall Call Duck Male
Best Rare Breed – WM Wiggans Vorwek Male
Best Utility – JP Heeley

Hello, i would like to put more input into my blog what i did earlier in the year about getting birds ready for a show, and some show tips:

This time of the year is the busisest on the poultry fanciers calender, there are 2 main shows, which are the Poultry Club of Great Britains National show, and the National Federation Of Poultry Clubs show, which both bring about 6,500 to 7,000 birds each year (which includes, poultry, waterfiwl, turkeys, fantails and canaries). And they have both progressed from years gone by, mainly the National show, which last year was in a new show hall, which was had more room and was a lot warmer! There is also ”smaller” championship shows around the country, which usually get around 950-1,500 entries each year, my favorites are Southport and Ormskirk (which is taking place this saturday) and Egremont (which takes place on the 12th of November). But what you need to remember, you need to have a limit on the amount of shows you have per year, not to wear out your birds, especiapecially if you only have a trio (or another small number) of  show quality birds. But what you also need to remember, you cannot just get your birds from your garden/allotment etc and take them straight to a show. You need to wash them, you do this by using childs shampoo (not to much) and in the bath, or sink in warm water (not too hot) and make sure you clean every where. When you have completed this, you need to dry the bird, you can either do this by a hair dryer, or by a towel. Then you need to see if the beak is the right size, if the top part of the beak is not in line with the bottom part, you will need to snip it, with small clips, please do not do this if you do not know what you are doing! Ask a fellow fancier or vet. Then you will clean the feet, make sure that there is no mud, in the birds toes and the legs are clean. If you have a Poultry Club of Great Britain 6th edition standards book, model your bird of that, or failing that, google the breed and print a picture, make sure it is British, as different countrys have different standards. Before you get to the show, you need to put your bird/s in a box, you can buy ”show boxes”, from around £30.00, or you can just use the cardboard box, make sure it is not too small but not too huge though! When you get to the show, you will collect a penning card and this will have all the classes what you had entered and also the pen numbers (take your schedule, to see which birds go where), do not feed or water your birds before they are judged. Then you will be asked to leave the hall/tent, for the judging to comence,all the judges will do, is handle your bird/s with the greatest care, and choose the best bird in that class, then you will be allowed to go into the show, and see what you have won! Then you can feed and water your birds, and then go home.

I wish you luck!

Dan

Hello, after looking on ”the poultry keeper” forum (what i would recomend to sign on to, if not already), there has been alot of talks about what is your favorutie egg dish, one said, basic, but lovely, scrambled egg, another said, there mums quiche, and someone else said egg mayo sandwhiches (which is in my dinner box for tommorow!). But mine has got to be, a bacon and egg pie, not made like a quiche where the eggs are beaten into milk, but where the eggs are put in whole, and it is the best! If you think about it Eggs are in everything, cakes, pies, sandwhiches, drinks and bread! So your favourite egg dish can be anything!  There is talks about having a recipe on the forum, so you can upload them with pictures and rate it on taste and how easy is it to make. But in the meanwhile if you have any egg recipes, post them into the file ”What’s your favourite EGG dish?” on the forum or put them into the comment box, underneath this post.

Thank you and happy cooking,

For my Bacon and Egg Pie recipe, please see the link below:

http://blog.poultrykeeper.com/true-bantam-blog/the-perfect-bacon-and-egg-pie/

Dan

Hello, there is over a million active users on facebook right now, and there is a poultry community, built into that. Fanciers have called it a tool for the ”modern day fancier”. It is a hive of groups and pages, all for Poultry! There is also and Online Show, what operates through facebook, and it is superbly run, just search ”online poultry shows”, and a page shall come up, from that the creators of the group also put on quizes and competitions, all winners get a beautiful rosette. They shall also be holding a charity show for Cancer charitys, clic sargent, Ovarian and Cancer Reasearch UK, and all monies shall be shared between them, they are also looking for sponsors, to sponsor a class, if you are intrested, again have a look at the ”Online Poultry Shows” page! There is also a group made especially for young fanciers, named ”Young Poultry Fanciers” who have there own ”Fun” show, which is free to enter, and breed club prizes, which shall be presented at a special presentation at the Federartion of Poultry Clubs, at Stafford. It is jam packed full of groups and pages, and if i go through them all, i will be here all week! So if you are not already on facebook, or fancy something different, why not sign up?

I hope that this helps

Dan

http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=0f4803c4696b9c97f5a316ce16df41d2

Hello, keeping chickens and ducks as pets is HUGE now. We have came to love the little (and big!) feathered friends! But you may think were can i get the food, drinkers and feeders, egg boxes, pot eggs and hen huts? Well first of all the huge chain of shops ”Wilkinsons”, selling all of the above, at very reasonable prices. You can also buy items for poultry from your local ”farmers suplie”, and most of all, what everyone can have acess to is the trusted internet, where you can buy ANYTHING, for your feathered friends. When you have got all of the necessary equipment, you can start building your hen hut, but where can you put it? Alot of people like to put there hut down the bottom of the garden, some like them at the top, it is all up to you. But make sure that they have some kind of shade, either natural, such as a tree or a big bush, or a sheet, or something of that kind. Also make sure that they can get outside, some how, either by a run, or let to run free (in the garden that is). If you do want them to roam, please make sure that they can not get away, make sure there is no escape holes, and the fence is a fair height (or, snip the the feathers, on the wing). You may also want to get in touch with your local council, to see if you are actually allowed to keep hens/ducks on your propety. If you are, it may be a good idea (if you are not intend to breed), not to buy a cockeral, mainly because of the noise. If you have been told, that you can not keep chickens/ducks on your propety, look into getting an allotment, also see your local council, but please be aware that in some parts of the country the waiting list is up to 3 years, but really worth waiting for!

Good Luck with your poultry and waterfowl, i hope that this helped

Dan

My favorite egg recipe! and i think the easiest!

What will i need?

200g of bacon

puff pastry sheets

7  free range eggs

a pinch of pepper

a pinch of salt

a pie dish

get your pie dish and lay your pastry on your pie dish, get your COOKED bacon, and put it at the bottom of the sish , then crack your eggs onto the the bacon, keeping them whole, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the eggs and bacon, get the rest of the pastry and cover the top of the pie. cook in the oven for 35 minutes at  180 C or gas mark 4, cut and enjoy! can be eaten hot or cold.

Many shows now have a section for a decorated egg, this is super if you are a bit crafty yourself, or you would like to get your children in to the fancy. There is so many ideas out there for a decorated egg, at the federation 2010, the judges where very suprised at a helicopter

made from a large duck egg, which was made for the charity help for heroes. There is also the most popular ones like the nativity, which are all very easy to do, if you would like any inspiration just go to your local show, or have a look on the internet searching ”decorated eggs”. you will be amazed what you can do with a egg and some paint!